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Do I Have to Go to Church?

There are so many opinions on “church” out there, even in the Christian community. Some people believe you can commune with God solely on a mountain top. Then others count you unfaithful if you miss a church service. So what does the Bible say? Do I have to go to church?

In the heritage that I was trained in, Heb. 10:25 provided the command that said “Yes. You have to go to church.” (“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…” ) I do appreciate that the assembling of Christians was  a high priority, but, in my experience, this verse has been used as a guilt stick to smack church members with. If you miss a few services this will most likely be the verse that gets quoted to you.

To be fair, that verse is only a small fraction of the message of Hebrews 10. In the same nugget of scripture we are shown how the new law transformed the old Judaic system. “Going to church” is not equivalent to “going to temple.”

And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”

No longer does God rule His people through a legal code of conduct. He now puts the message on the hearts of his people who ARE the temple (1 Cor. 6:19). So “going to church” must not be a requirement of the law because that check mark system is gone. This law of the heart requires a willing sacrifice (Rom. 12:1).

After making it clear that our sins are gone, another impossibility under the Old Covenant,  the writer goes on to say:

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

Because the Holy Spirit testifies to the new covenant and Jesus provided the ultimate sacrifice, NOW we get to walk right into the presence of  God himself. THAT is huge. That is spiritually colossal. Don’t pass up the magnitude of that too quickly.  We don’t have to “go to temple” or “go to church” to be in God’s presence. We are in His presence continuously because we are His temple.

The believer who receives this unfathomable gift has only one charge, take it and don’t let go. “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm…”

The problem is once that gift of salvation is yours, the enemy pulls, pushes, and tempts his way into your heart to get you to let go. When the Hebrew letter was written, Christians were being jailed, tortured and murdered in an attempt to destroy their loyalty to Jesus Christ.

Today, most of you who read my blog are not facing that type of persecution. But you will be led into addictions to prescription drugs or sex outside of marriage. Satan will pull at your allegiance by giving you a new job that distracts your spiritual vision. Demons will call out your name to get you to lose your temper, take God’s name in vain, love money, serve two masters or simply lose your confidence Jesus. That’s why we are told to  “hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm…” 

The amazing thing is that we don’t have to fight this alone. In the middle of the tug-of-war for your soul there is a defense. God prepared a way to build you up and keep you strong for the fight. Your nourishment and rest comes from being together.

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

So “Do I have to go to church?” Nope. You’ve gotta BE the church (1 Cor. 12:27-28).

Being the church requires more of us than “going to church.” It requires more than holidays or even every Sunday. It requires all of you.  And it requires us to do all of what Hebrews 10 says.

  • think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works
  • do not neglect our meeting together, as some people do
  • encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near

Stop looking for reasons you don’t have to “go to church” and start looking for reasons to “be the church.” Our spiritual lives depend on it.

Tomorrow more on the “how-to’s” of  “being the church.” See you then!

Jun 4, 2012Serena
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Family Adventure FridayI Don't Go to Church Because of All the Hypocrites
Comments: 5
  1. Stephanie
    10 years ago

    Serena, I love you for writing this. You hit it out of the ball park! Thank you for taking the time to write this blog – for the thoughts of your heart which are so linked to His word and His Son. You are a blessing!

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  2. Pam
    10 years ago

    Ireally appreciate your reminder from God’s Word on this topic. God has provided us with such a beautiful way to worship Him and enjoy being a family focused on Him! We all need to take advantage of EVERY MOMENT that we can be together and truly treasure this great blessing!

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  3. Tim
    10 years ago

    Excellent thoughts, Serena! Thanks for this message.

    In my opinion, THE fundamental problem among Christians today is a failure to understand the biblical concept of worship. Like our understanding of “church”, the misperception that we only worship when the church is assembled leads us down a path of improper thinking, decisions, and ultimately arguments and disagreements over things GOD never intended us to argue about.

    Keep up the great work.

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  4. Angie Woolf
    10 years ago

    Beautifully said!! Agreed Tim!
    I have always thought – if there are those not wanting to come together with the assembly – when they truly are seeking God, His purpose and wanting to encourage one another – maybe there is something wrong with the assembly or the purpose for which we are assemblying.
    Hope that wasn’t confusing 🙂
    I think you hit it on the head! Be the church and bless the church!! God will reward!

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  5. Dana
    10 years ago

    Thank you for writing this Serena. As one who has been hit with the “guilt stick” by another believer this was good to read. I was raised by a preacher. At one time, we traveled to different churches until God called him to one church as a pastor. For us as kids it was not a question of “if” we were going to church but “where” were we going to church. When I was about 23 years old, newly married and working a job that had be on a 12 hr (8am – 8pm or 8pm to 8am) rotating shift that only had me off work on Sundays one Sunday a month. Missing church every week was hard for me and I was in desperate need of fellowship. My first month of working this schedule I got up and went to church on my first Sunday off and when I entered the church I was thinking how happy I was to finally be back in my church and looking for the fellowship I was longing for and one prominate woman in the church meet me in the foyer with a smile and shook my hand and said she was glad to see me. I smiled and thanked her and to my surprise the next thing out of her mouth shocked me to my very core. She said, “you haven’t been here in so long I hope you can remember how to act in church”. It was said with such a snear in her voice that I felt as if she was trying to put me in my place. Needless to say, I allowed her comment to affect me the whole rest of the service and got not one thing from the message. I never went back to that church and God lead me to another wonderful church that was supportive and understanding. I believe that fellowship with believers should not come only inside the church walls. It should be a genuine love and concern for each other that extends to all its members even those who can’t or don’t make it to a service. I like your statement of “being the church”. As I have been told most my life growing up…”You may be the only church that some people see”. Thank you Serena for such a wonderful topic. I love your heart for the Lord!

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Serena
10 years ago 5 Comments Christian LifeGoing to church592
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